Khaberni - Just two days after a deadly attack targeted a synagogue in the city of Manchester, Britain witnessed a new incident when a mosque in the town of Peasehaven near Brighton was deliberately set on fire while two individuals were inside, in a possible hate crime that adds to a series of escalating violent incidents occurring in the country this summer.
Last night, the British police announced that a mosque was subjected to a deliberate arson while two persons were still inside, according to the website "CNN".
Emergency teams rushed to the mosque located in the town of Peasehaven near the city of Brighton on the southern coast of the United Kingdom, just before ten o'clock in the evening local time.
Two masked men attacked the mosque
The administrative officer in the mosque and one of the worshippers, both in their sixties, were drinking tea inside the mosque when they heard a loud explosion, so they hurried outside while flames were devouring the main entrance.
It is unknown whether the attackers knew there were people inside the mosque at that time.
The director of the mosque, who refused to disclose his name, told "CNN" that two masked individuals tried to break the mosque's door on Saturday night before they poured gasoline on the stairs and set it on fire.
He added, "They could have easily died, as these people came with a clear intent to cause as much damage as possible." He continued, "They are two men in their sixties...", adding that the mosque is usually a very friendly and quiet place.
They poured gasoline
The surveillance cameras at the mosque's door showed two masked individuals approaching the entrance, trying to pull the door handle and open it several times before they poured gasoline on the ground and the door and the mosque director's car parked outside.
Meanwhile, the police confirmed that the fire destroyed the façade of the mosque and caused damage to the parked car in front of it.
While no one was physically harmed, the police confirmed that the impact of the incident "will be felt by the Muslim community" in the small coastal town.
